Welcome to the 2024 edition of Destination Golf Ireland .
It ’ s 2024 and here at Destination Golf we can look back on a busy 2023 and look forward to more of the same in the year ahead .
Golf courses were busy with visitors , membership remained strong after the Covid restrictions were lifted and golf clubs and resorts showed their ambition and appreciation of members with considerable upgrade work . This stretched across the four provinces . Last year I said that there were few times in the past 15 years that the outlook has been so promising ... well , that applies to 2024 , too .
The reimagining of Druids Glen saw the most colourful and vibrant of Ireland ’ s parklands re-open in June . Six new holes at Portmarnock Links – renamed Jameson Golf Links in honour of the Jameson family – opened shortly afterwards , and the entire re-bunkering programmes at The Royal Dublin , Castlemartyr and Blainroe also came to fruition . All are highly impressive and The Royal Dublin has been lifted to higher heights as a result of Frank Pont ’ s work .
Then there are the courses and resorts that invest on a constant dripfeed . Monkstown Golf Club , in Co Cork , is now working on a re-bunkering programme over the next two years , while Howth Golf Club , Concra Wood and Luttrellstown Castle – among others – are taking the longer but steady approach to re-bunkering . And then there ’ s Galgorm Castle which just gets better and better every year thanks to a remarkable – you might say relentless – vision .
The year 2024 will see the Horizon Irish Open at the mighty Royal County Down , the Women ’ s Irish Open at Carton House , the Women ’ s Amateur Championship at Portmarnock and the Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin . That is some line-up and it will show off the quality of Ireland ’ s golf courses to an even wider audience .
Kevin Markham Editor Destination Golf Media Ltd .
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